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It is very important that you obtain legal advice from an experienced attorney regarding your particular situation. Consultation before you take action will certainly cost you less than it will cost to fix your unintentional errors.

What are Pre-Petition Assets and Debts? What are Post-Petition Assets and Debts?
In general, assets that you own prior to filing for bankruptcy are called pre-petition assets. Some of these valuable assets maybe used to pay those debts you owed before filing bankruptcy, called pre-petition debts. Normally, any assets that you acquire after your bankruptcy is filed are yours, called post-petition assets and your pre-petition creditors cannot take them. By the same token, any liabilities you incur after the bankruptcy was filed, called post-petition liabilities, are not normally discharged in your bankruptcy proceeding. This may change somewhat in a chapter 13 case.
There are situations when bankruptcy is not the best option.
Diane will help you determine what other options might be available. But, in the great majority of cases, bankruptcy is the only option left because of the creditors refusal to be reasonable and help you solve your current dilemma. It is her job to help you throughout the entire process and to make sure you understand your rights and the complex legal issues involved with bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy is a very complicated interplay of several laws and should not be undertaken without adequate representation.
Do not use document preparers or inexperienced attorneys who do not practice bankruptcy law full time. I don’t say this to scare you, but because I have seen innocent people make really bad decisions without understanding the consequences.
Most consumer bankruptcy lawyers offer free consultations, this includes our office.
You cannot beat free!!
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS …..

Shays’ Rebellion In 1786, engraving is from Hulton Archive/Getty Images
For instance – Shays’ Rebellion In 1786, poor farmers in Massachusetts rebelled when creditors came calling during a recession.
Today, as in 1786, the majority of Americans no longer blame the borrower, but are pointing fingers at the credit card companies and mortgage lenders. Corey Calabrese, a Fordham Law student who is an administrator of the school’s walk-in clinic for debtors at Manhattan Civil Court. Public sentiment is on their side, she added: “For the first time, Americans are no longer blaming the borrower but are looking at the credit card companies.” According to a Quinnipiac University poll in February 2009, 62 percent of those polled blamed mortgage lenders “who loaned the money to people who may not be able to pay it back.” Only a quarter blamed homeowners.
This fresh start principle is also set forth in the Bible. According to the Old Testament, every 50th year all debts were to be cancelled. This was known as the “Year of Jubilee”. (Leviticus 25:10-15) Also, every 7th year, creditors were to release their clients from debts. This was called the “Lord’s release”. (Deuteronomy 15:1-2) “If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, you shall not charge him interest.” (25 New King James Bible) “Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them” (Nebemiah 5:10,11).
Root of All Evil Credit Has Taken the Place of Money (a blog post)